Did Jesus die for angry people. You know the types I mean. Those people that just, at the drop of a hat, get angry and blow up. Those people who yell at other people in traffic and curse out the customer service representative because the thunderstorm knocked out the cable. Those types that yell at the waiter for the food taking too long in the kitchen, and those people who yell at their kids in the grocery store. Those people that can't control their temper and go green like the Hulk whenever they are inconvenienced. Yes, there are angry people in the world, we see them all the time.

But what about us? Are we angry people? I mean, we get angry sometimes, but we have reasons for that. People say things to us and our loved ones that give us righteous anger. Yes, we get angry, but it is always in the name of truth and justice. We get angry, but it is for good reason. Are we ever allowed to get angry, or do we ever get angry purely for righteousness sake? Bonhoeffer, in The Cost Of Discipleship, spoke on anger saying, "Anger is always an attack on the brother's life, for it refuses to let him live and aims at his destruction." No, we never have righteous anger, because that type of anger is aimed at bringing man to repentance. When we get angry, all we have in our cross hairs is our neighbor's destruction and doom. Yes, our anger takes over us because we feel we've been wronged and those who wronged us have to pay. Yes, revenge overcomes us in self-produced and self-centered anger. Yes, we are angry people as well. Yes, our anger possess us and takes control so that we break the 5th Commandment which says, "You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need." 

Yes, when we get angry at our neighbor it is because we care more about ourselves than we do about them. We want them to have our back, but we never have theirs. Remember the words of Jesus that say, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48).   Yes, we are to love our enemies. When we have someone's back, what is that if they are friends of ours. No, we are to be perfect as our Father in heaven in perfect, and that means having a heart that is patient, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Let us repent, for we are quick to anger and patience is a virtue that few of us possess, and even less of us practice. 

Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Jesus is serious when He says this. He isn't joking. How are we perfect as God is perfect? First thing is to admit that we are not perfect, meaning we need to confess our sins, and God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. What does this mean? it means that God cleanses us of our anger and impatient hearts. Yes, on the cross, Jesus had plenty of reason to get angry at us. He saw all our sins, all our rejections, all our laziness, all our neglect, all our disobedience, all our love for the world, all our love for ourselves, all our anger, all our wrath, all our attacks against our neighbor. Yes, Jesus saw all that we would do, and He went to the cross joyfully for us anyway. Yes, Jesus knew what He was getting into, and instead of being angry at us and letting wrath be the soup of the day, He instead was guided by compassion with forgiveness being the special. Yes, Jesus did not respond to our anger with anger, but instead took us, His enemies because of sin, and loved us. Yes, Jesus has our back and assumes all our outbursts and angry blowups as His own. Yes, there on the cross, Jesus was the angry sinner in the eyes of the law, and therefore in the eyes of His Father. Yes, His Father saw, not His perfect Son, but all we imperfect angry sinners. Yes, there on the cross did the Father's wrath get drained, and Jesus drank the cup down to the dregs, so that our anger may condemn us no more. Yes, our anger condemned Jesus to death so that we may suffer the consequences of our revenge. Jesus did not seek revenge for our sin, but rather sought to ransom us from a life filled with anger, jealousy, and vengeance. Yes, on the cross, Jesus died so that angry people can be forgiven and cleansed. 

Jesus died on the cross so that we are forgiven our anger. This also means that Jesus died on the cross to help us with our anger. If you have anger in your heart, then you will never see the love of Christ. The only way that anger is removed from your heart is when the Holy Spirit brings you to see this in the hearing of the Law, the revelation of your sin, so that you may, by faith, come to repentance. Yes, we repent and ask God to help us because we do not want the anger to overcome us and define us. Yes, Jesus answers our cries for help and takes away our sin in Holy Absolution. Yes, we are absolved and God holds nothing against us. Jesus has our back when He forgives us and creates in us clean hearts. Will we continuously make progress and never get as angry as we used to? Well, maybe, but probably not. We will always struggle with anger and frustration. We will always break the 5th Commandment. We will be imperfect until we take our last breath because of sin. However, Jesus is perfect, and He exchanges our imperfection for His perfection, our anger for His compassion, our revenge for His forgiveness. Yes, no matter how angry you get, or how many times you lose your temper, Jesus is there waiting to forgive you and calm your heart. Jesus will never hurt or harm you, but will help you in every physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual need. He's got your back. 

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I love you. I forgive you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog